Healthy Ramadan 2014: A meal in a glass

For Muslims in Ramadan, it can be very difficult to eat two healthy full meals with very little time in between the two. And its even more difficult to ensure that we are getting all the essential nutrients from both of these meals too. Here I have explained how you can go easy on one of the meal times without missing it on the nutrients and ensuring you are getting a well-balanced meal too. 

Anatolian Cultural Fete 2014

The Anatolian Cultural Fete is a festival that has been running for 7 years now in Clissold Park. I hadn’t been to the previous ones and have been wanting to go, so was happy to be free to go this year. I went with my cousin even though the weather was not on our side, obviously I went for the food but there was lot more going on. Read here to find out more about the fete that just seems to be getting bigger and bigger.

Live Below The Line Challenge 2014

Live Below the Line is an amazing annual challenge where many people live on £1 a day to raise awareness on poverty. Gandhi said – “Poverty is the worst form of violence.” Although, this week wasn’t ideal for me to undertake the challenge due to prior engagements, I did it for one day. And let me tell you it wasn’t easy.

Health Awareness Event: Talks, Demos and Food!

I was invited to host and deliver a talk at a Health Awareness Event organised by NFA Foundation, founded by a lovely sister I met only a few months ago, Nazia Ali. The event was held on Friday 28th March 2014 from 3-6pm.  It was a short yet fun-filled event, gaining invaluable healthy tips from all the health professionals that attended. 

RECIPE: Eggless Pancakes

I didn't have time to make pancakes for breakfast this morning so I decided to have some for dinner instead. But I'd used up all the eggs for another dish.... Oops! Well, I didn't let that stop me making pancakes on pancake day! So I started searching for egg alternatives and egg-less pancake recipes. Here's what I came up with. 

RECIPE: Aubergine Towers

I came upon this recipe when browsing a low-fat recipe book and it just looked delicious. I first made this in Ramadhan 2013 (the month of fasting for Muslism), to have as a light snack/meal for iftaar, (the meal at sunset when you break the fast). I had it with a side of couscous and it tasted so yummy. In fact it tasted like I was having pizza. I would even use this as a healthy pizza alternative recipe, or a low-carb meal. 

The 3 Cores of Healthy Eating

There are so many tips and advice on what to have and what not to have, that we often get confused by the many misunderstood messages flying around making us question every single thing we eat and drink. If you want to be healthy AND happy at the same time (which can be done), follow my 3 core guidelines below. 

Healthy Ramadhan 2013

The blessed month of fasting is upon the Muslims again and the summer days are just starting as we get into this blessed month. Ramadhan is a month where Muslims fast (do not eat or drink) from dusk til dawn. It is a month where Muslims learn to exercise their self-control, refresh and reflect on their life; spiritually and physically.  

With the days getting longer and the nights getting shorter it can be difficult to maintain our health and strength. This is why it is even more important to make sure we eat and drink healthily making sure we keep our body’s energy and fuel topped up with the right foods and drinks.

RECIPE: Savoury Pancakes - Pancake Day 2013

This year I decided to make savoury pancakes instead of the usual sweet pancakes. The great thing about savoury pancakes is that it can be eaten as a meal for lunch or dinner, not just for breakfast. I was so overwhelmed with the different recipes out there for savoury pancakes, I was spoilt for choice, they all sounded too scrumptious that I found it very hard to decide which to include in this blog. Keep in mind that you can vary the recipe according to your own taste and feel free to experiment with different ingredients and spices. Here are the ones I made for me and family:

RECIPE: Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

Being a nutritionist has opened me up to a lot of new foods. I've tried, tested, adapted and liked many new food and drinks. One of them is butternut squash. 

A lot of people have asked me how I make this soup, so I decided to share it with you all. I love making it, it's so easy and taste so good. It will fill you right up even without a wholemeal roll. A great winter vegetable, perfect for those cold nights, it will leave you nice and warm inside. 

RECIPES: Bean burger and Falafels

Being a nutritionist has made me more aware and informed about what is in my food, not only inside my home but outside my home as well. One of my missions is to make healthy alternatives to take away and processed food. My love for fresh food is always growing because I am always finding out about new foods that I may not have heard of, like recently I have been hearing a lot about kale, which I hadn’t heard of until recently (It’s a dark green leafy vegetable, a type of cabbage with many health properties). I still need to try it out!

RECIPE: Leek and Potato Soup

So last week I finally made leek and potato soup for the first time. With leeks being in season in February I thought it was a good time and it tasted yum on some of those cold wintery nights. It was very easy to make and I used the recipe from the ‘Eat Seasonally’ website. 

Healthy Catering

Being healthy is on everyone’s list. It’s a destination that we all want to reach and we have tried and tested all the routes. Whether it is a drastic lifestyle change or simple tips to implement into our diet, we've done it all. Some people may increase their physical activity whilst others just add fruit and vegetables to their diet.

The truth is that our bodies work differently according to our individual metabolism. Some peoples may work faster whilst others may work slower and there are ways to increase ones body metabolism. The point is our body works differently, whilst one diet plan may work on one person it may not work on another. But there are some things which work on everybody and that is to use healthy cooking methods.